1. Field
The application generally relates to telephones, speakerphones, hands-free phones, and combination audio and video teleconferencing devices, and more particularly, to such devices with the ability to automatically answer and validate the source of an incoming call using passwords that are supplied by the caller, that result in the automatic activation of the speakerphone, without call recipient intervention.
2. Related Art
Conventional telephones, speakerphones, and audio/video teleconferencing devices are designed to require the presence of a call recipient who is physically and functionally capable of acknowledging the presence of an incoming call, and capable of enabling the device in an effective and timely manner, in order to answer an incoming call, and to hang up or terminate a call when it is finished.
Many conventional devices employ visual and auditory caller identification, notifying a call recipient who must then make a determination about answering the call and interacting with the caller. In an increasing number of telecommunications networks the standards-based caller identification information that is transmitted between ring signals, may be intentionally blocked or not provided by the caller, or is removed by the network, or is intentionally falsified by callers, or is ambiguous and does not clearly identify the individual caller. And in the presence of undesired calls that are ignored or unanswered by the call recipient, these may result in messages that are stored in an answering system or message mail box, that may not be accessible by people with physical or functional disabilities.
In addition to the foregoing, the displays, buttons, and complex user interfaces on many high functionality audio and video telephony devices are extremely complex, and are not sufficient to enable individuals with significant physical and functional disabilities to receive desired incoming calls.
There is a need for speakerphone devices that automatically answer and validate that incoming calls are coming from an authorized caller, prior to automatically activating their audio and/or video one-way or two-way communications functions, without the need for operation or intervention by the call recipient. Examples of situations that illustrate this need include: incoming calls from family or friends to individuals who are physically or functionally unable to answer and operate a telephone or speakerphone, or who because of mobility limitations are unable to access the speakerphone in a timely manner; these may be people who are physically impaired, permanently or temporarily, including people recovering from illness or injury in hospitals, convalescent facilities, nursing homes or similar managed care facilities, or individuals who live in any situation and who have physical or functional impairments or limitations. The need for the devices may also be motivated by other reasons a caller may have to need to establish a one-way or two-way voice or video communication under unilateral caller control.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional telephony devices will become apparent to one skilled in the art, through comparison of such devices set forth in the remainder of this application with reference to the drawings and detailed descriptions.